How can people fast for days without being hungry? It comes down to the fact that hunger is not determined by not eating for a certain period of time. Rather, it is a hormonal signal. It does not come about simply because the stomach is empty. When you avoid natural stimuli to hunger, such as the sight and smell of food, as well as the conditioned stimuli to hunger—specific mealtimes, movies, ball games, any event where you normally eat and have learned to expect food—you help avoid that hormonal signal. Fasting helps to break all the conditioned stimuli and thus helps to reduce, not enhance,
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